'Birthday boy' forced to order poster clean-up

While many people would testify that their complaints take a long time to reach the ears of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the civic authority wasted no time in obeying orders from the mayor, to take down the hoardings celebrating his own birthday.

YESTERDAY

MiD DAY had reported yesterday about the banners and posters that had popped up around Goregaon (‘Mayor’s birthday celebrated by defacing city’). However, after the mayor intervened, nearly all the banners were taken down within 24 hours. Sources at P south ward revealed to MiD DAY that the mayor had given direct orders to the ward officer to remove the hoardings and posters in the area on Wednesday evening.

WEDNESDAY

A sight for sore eyes: Within 24 hours, the banners across Gokuldham in Goregaon (E) had been taken down. PICS/rane ASHISH

A senior officer at P-south ward, requesting anonymity said, “The hoardings that were put up in the Gokuldham area on the mayor’s birthday were taken off by midnight.”

The city’s youngest mayor’s birthday was celebrated by his Sena workers of Goregaon (E) Gokuldham area, by raising around 70 illegal hoardings from Dindoshi depot to Goregaon (E) station.

When MiD DAY inspected the spot yesterday, all the hoardings that were put up on Tuesday night had been pulled down. However, the hoardings near the Western Express Highway and outside Goregaon (E) Station were only removed by yesterday afternoon.

When enquired whether the banners had been dislodged, P- south ward officer Ranjeet Dhakne said, “I was told by my colleagues that all the illegal banners were removed. To my knowledge, there were no banners near WEH or at Goregaon station. But I will still look into the matter. There are official orders from the mayor to remove any illegal hoardings, be it for him, or anyone else.”

“The total number of hoardings that were removed yesterday was 110, out of which 20 political hoardings were from P-south ward alone,” said, B V Rane, deputy licence superintendent, Shivaji Market BMC office.

In spite of repetitive calls made to mayor Sunil Prabhu, he remained unavailable for comment.

Voices I had to offer the mayor belated birthday greetings while going for work, as a huge hoarding was right up on the station’s entrance, which was almost impossible to ignore — Amit Gurav, Goregaon (E)

I just hope I don’t have to wish the mayor again in the evening. His setting of such an example, being the first citizen, makes me wonder what the other politicians would do — Manish Mote, Goregaon (E)